Mrs. Millers Plan Book

Friday, June 1, 2012

Training tips: 5 K

Happy Friday readers and runners! I'm excited to be starting a new series in the month of June. Yes, it's June. This month is very busy with end of the school year details, graduations, family visits, etc, so I thought it would be a great time to get some guest posts going! I've been getting a lot of questions about running different distances, so this month will be filled with training tips for running a 5k, 10k, 1/2 marathon, marathon, and ULTRA marathon (I'll be taking notes on that one especially!). For more information on running a 5k, check out Runners World's 5k training page.

So, readers, allow me to introduce Sarah. We met on Twitter, and she's got some FABULOUS advice on running a 5k!

Name: Sarah Oskey-Morrison

Twitter Name:
SarahOskey

FacebooK:
Facebook.com/SarahOskey

Blog:
www.MorrisonFit.com

Distance to be
discussed: 5K

When was the first
time you ran this distance?

My first 5K was in October of 2008. I ran a local breast cancer awareness 5K for
Zonta.

What was the good?

It was amazing to realize I was capable of running a 5K, in
fact, I even came in third in my age group and got a medal J.

What was the bad?

The bad part was that I hadn’t done it sooner. I’d always disliked running and been scared
of races.

What was the ugly?

I did have an overwhelming feeling that I needed to vomit at
the end, but it passed.

Now that you've ran
this distance more than once, what are your top three pieces of advice?

1.Practice

2.Know yourself

3.Don’t stress

What, if any,
training plans did you follow?

Honestly, I just started running. I’ve never put any pressure on myself to run
at a certain pace or run a certain distance.
I run because I enjoy it, it helps me relax and feel good about
myself. But if you’re someone who likes
to train and are starting from nothing spend at least a month prior training.

Week Three: Push yourself to jog for at least 10 minutes,
take a walk break and repeat again

Week Four: Try to jog at least 2.5 miles

Take it easy a couple of days before the race

*this is a sample training program, adjust as needed

How do you fuel?

As you begin to run you’ll know how soon before a run, and
what kind of foods feel good in your stomach before your sneakers hit the
ground. I generally have a small meal
and lots of water beforehand. I love
English muffins with PB and a tomato on the side.

What was your
favorite race at this distance?

My favorite 5K was the fourth of July one in my town of
Alpena, Michigan. My friend who is not a
big fan of running did it with me and I stayed with her the whole time. She pushed herself and I was so proud. I didn’t care about my time, I cared about
motivating her!

What is your mantra,
or a quote for inspiration?

"Run into peace."--Meister Eckhart, 14th century philosopher

Please add anything
you feel is important to let people know about this distance:

Top 3 pieces of advice:

Being prepared for anything new in your life is good.Ninety-nine percent of the time when you give
some thought, practice and preparation to a big event you’re more
successful.So get out and do some
practice runs before the big race.You’ll feel more confident in your abilities and know what to expect,
for things as simple as what shoes to wear and what leggings don’t chafe.

Know what you want to get out of your 5K.Are you competitive or are you just excited
to get involved?If you are competitive
you’ll want to figure out how fast you need to run your miles to be able to
meet your overall time goal.If you’re
just excited to run, chill out and enjoy the sights, energy and excitement from
the other runners around you.Personally, that is my favorite part!

Don’t stress about your 5K.I see so many people get nervous about running in general and that
frustrates me because to me, running is about relaxing and feeling good about
yourself.Just focus on what you can
do.If you can jog five minutes and then
need a walking break do it.Remember,
running doesn’t mean fast, contrary to popular belief.Running means something different to
everyone.Be proud that you are doing a
5K and simply do the best you can do at that moment.

Thanks Sarah, this was a great post!!!

What about you? Have you run a 5k? Hate the distance? Love it? Have some more advice? TELL ME ABOUT IT!

Welcome!

I am Mrs. Miller: wife, stay at home mom to Henry and Lambeau Puppy, NYC runner and Rodan and Fields Consultant! This blog details my training for marathons as a new mom, running routes in NYC, health and wellness info, and yummy food!